E is for "Effervescent"

Writing this in the last few minutes of the day (it's officially 11:56 PM and I'll probably finish writing this past midnight) but I just really wanted to put it out there – how do I try and tell my relatives and friends that yes, I'd love to receive any gift you might give, but also if you can please not gift wrap it, thank you very much.

Assuming that Christmas this year is not cancelled (we'll see how things go COVID wise during the Thanksgiving season), there will probably be gift-giving. Or at least I presume I'm still young enough to be considered being given a gift at all – as plenty of you might have noticed, the number of gifts you receive on occasions slowly dwindle as you age. I love receiving presents, but this year I feel like I have to push a little more in terms of intentionality and maybe slightly zero waste. I already felt a little inkling of it during last year's holiday season, but now I feel like I'll go insane if I didn't at least try let people know that my values and preferences for gift giving has changed.

I don't think my bigger family knows that I'm big on the idea of minimalism and zero waste. Of course, I'm not the perfect example or a shining beacon to look up to on that subject since I've only begun, but as it is I am 100% convinced that the holidays pose so much waste – from paper plates to plastic utensils and cups while eating, to single-use gift wrapping paper – I have absolutely been there. I like the direction where I'm going with this change of lifestyle, but I'm beginning to dread the idea that I am no island, and that people in my social circles don't necessarily see my current endeavour as something they'd tolerate.

My initial plan was to create a publicized wish list (presumptuous, I know), but as I was writing it I felt like I'd get some backlash or resistance of some sort. Now I'm stuck thinking, maybe I should just open the conversation while it's still early?